AltWeeklies Wire
Iraqi Oudist and Composer Rahim AlHaj Spreads Peace and Compassionnew
While countries around the world are in turmoil, their music lives on in refugee status. It makes sense, but it does rattle one's sense of cultural authenticity and what that means in the modern day. How does Iraqi music change when the musician doesn't live in Iraq anymore?
East Bay Express |
Tom Chandler |
11-06-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Los Cenzontles Blends the American Experience with Traditional Roots Musicnew
The Bay Area's brilliant-hued musical aviary boasts dozens of rare and exceptional hybrid ensembles, but none have risen from humble origins to scintillating creative heights like Los Cenzontles.
East Bay Express |
Andrew Gilbert |
11-06-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Paris Lets His Inner P-Funk Shine on 'Acid Reflex'new
Listening to Paris in 2008 is like walking on the edge of a razor blade. On one side of that slippery slope, the East Bay militant rap icon continues to espouse the anger and violent revolutionary tendencies he's famous for. On the other, as evident on his new album, his music grooves and swirls and lifts.
East Bay Express |
Tom Chandler |
10-22-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Giant Sand's Howe Gelb on His Band's Ever-Evolving Soundnew
"Whatever I've been a party of, music-wise, has been positive erosion," Gelb explained from his home in Tucson, his voice raspy and a little sly. "I think improvisation is too kind of a word, because it indicates talented people playing within a jazz structure."
East Bay Express |
Tom Chandler |
10-08-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Birdmonster, Tamednew
Norah Jones' producer ushers the San Francisco rockers into acoustic terrain.
East Bay Express |
David Downs |
10-08-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Oakland Band Real Blood Decided to Build its Career Undergroundnew
Despite their penchant for playing illegal shows, the members of Real Blood are hardly rock 'n' roll rebels. Rather, they're responsible, thoughtful musicians who upon careful consideration decided this was the best way to build their band.
East Bay Express |
Nate Seltenrich |
10-01-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Deerhoof's Buff vs. Buffy Dynamicnew
Chameleon-esque noise-poppers experiment by "recording like a normal band" for its forthcoming release Offend Maggie.
East Bay Express |
David Downs |
10-01-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
The Avant-Funk Visions of pc muñoznew
The producer at Talking House Productions makes beats for a strange, futuristic dance floor.
East Bay Express |
Tom Chandler |
09-24-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Darker My Love Evades a Sophomore Slump with its New Recordnew
The songs on 2 diverge wildly from the buried shoegaze atmospherics of Darker My Love's first self-titled album, and move more toward pop territory with the assistance of producer Dave Cooley.
East Bay Express |
Oscar Medina |
09-10-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Darker My Love, 2
Understanding WHY?new
Yoni Wolf perfects his mind-warping blend of pop, rap, and psychedelia on Alopecia.
East Bay Express |
Nate Seltenrich |
08-27-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Now a Free Agent, Bilal Has More Love for Salenew
He shot Interscope to the left when the label shelved his 2006 sophomore album, Love for Sale. And now that he's independent, and resolutely so, he's composing most of his new material on Garage Band. Bilal likes it that way.
East Bay Express |
Rachel Swan |
08-20-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
The Loading Zone Reunites After 30 Years ... For One Nightnew
Since breaking up in the early 1970s, the Loading Zone has been mentioned most often not for its distinctive blend of garage rock, R&B, and jazz, but as the launching pad for Linda Tillery, who was a teenage soul belter when she took over as lead vocalist in 1967.
East Bay Express |
Andrew Gilbert |
08-14-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Detroit Soul Singer Dwele Fuses Hip-Hop with Classic Rootsnew
Dwele's soaring high-tenor tones on Sketches of a Man have a decidedly old-school vibe. But his at times stream-of-consciousness lyric flow and seemingly out-of-sync drum 'n' bass syncopations come from hip-hop.
East Bay Express |
Lee Hildebrand |
08-07-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Dwele, Sketches of Man
Erk tha Jerk Makes Bay Area Hip-Hop a Whole Lot Smarternew
Erk tha Jerk is a slender guy with horn-rimmed glasses and a gallows humor. He isn't afraid to clown someone using insults that could potentially go over that person's head. And his most famous song, "I'm So Dumb (the Hyphy Diss Song)," might have been the most petulant thing to air on KMEL this year.
East Bay Express |
Rachel Swan |
07-24-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
The Bayliens Are Comingnew
The stalwart indie rap trio invades the world of "Bubblegum" pop.
East Bay Express |
Rachel Swan |
07-10-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: The Bayliens
